Public’s Enthusiasm Over Prop. 103 Passage Has Risen, Poll Finds

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed by the California Poll say that passing Proposition 103 was a good thing, showing much more enthusiasm for the measure than was evident in November when voters passed it by a narrow 51% majority.

At the same time, the public is highly skeptical that it will ever see the 20% rate rollbacks called for under the measure.

The poll results, published Tuesday, come at a time when lawyers for the insurance industry have been arguing to the state Supreme Court that the electorate only voted for Proposition 103 because of its rollback provisions and contending that if those are invalidated by the high court, then the rest of the initiative ought to be invalidated as well.

But the California Poll found that a substantial majority of those surveyed liked the initiative, even though they do not expect the 20% rollbacks from 1987 levels will be allowed to go into effect.

Beside the rate rollbacks, Proposition 103 contains provisions allowing banks to sell insurance and agents to rebate part of their commissions, limits companies’ rights to cancel policies and mandates rate regulation by the state.

Of the 1,007 people surveyed by pollster Mervin Field between Jan. 23 and 31, 62% said they thought the passage of Proposition 103 was a good thing; 20%, a bad thing; 3%, both good and bad, and 15%, no opinion.

However, only 29% of those questioned said they thought their rates would fall under Proposition 103, while 38% expected no change and 23% believed their rates would actually go up. Ten percent had no opinion.

Also, 36% of those surveyed thought it would be more difficult to obtain insurance coverage, 11% thought it would be less difficult, 42% believed there would be no change and 11% had no opinion.

The poll also asked those surveyed who they might be inclined to elect as state insurance commissioner, if the Supreme Court upholds the Proposition 103 provision that makes the job an elective post beginning in 1990.

Exploratory Effort

Among Democrats reportedly interested in running for the job, Assemblyman Tom Hayden of Santa Monica fared the best, with 50% saying they would be inclined to vote for him. Hayden recently launched an exploratory effort to see whether he might successfully run for the post.

By contrast, only 26% of those surveyed said they would be inclined to vote for Los Angeles City Atty. James Hahn, 21% for state Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), 18% for state Sen. Daniel Boatwright (D-Concord) and 8% for State Board of Equalization member Conway Collis, all mentioned as potential candidates.

The majority of respondents said they had no opinion about most of those listed as potential candidates.

Asked about possible Republican candidates, 22% of those surveyed said they would be inclined to vote for the present insurance commissioner, Roxani Gillespie, although 33% said they would not be inclined to vote for her. The rest said they did not know. Gillespie, however, has already said she would not run.

Among other Republicans mentioned, 16% said they would be inclined to vote for state Sen. John Doolittle of Rocklin; 14% for Sen. Marian Bergeson, Newport Beach; 13% for Assemblyman Larry Stirling, San Diego, and 11% for Sen. Becky Morgan, Los Altos Hills.